PS I Love You

14-October-2011

Mr CRAIG BAUMANN (Port Stephens—Parliamentary Secretary) [3.47 p.m.]: I want to speak about an innovative and unique new campaign in my electorate of Port Stephens—PS I Love You. While some in this Chamber who are old enough will immediately think of the Beatles song released in 1962—the member for Mount Druitt is the only member who would—as the B-side for their debut single Love Me Do, the phrase is now part of the vernacular in tourism circles to describe my electorate. I was honoured to speak on behalf of the Minister for Tourism, Major Events Hospitality and Racing, Mr George Souris, at the launch last month of the $175,000 second phase of the campaign, which is the first integrated campaign for Port Stephens in eight years.

Destination NSW, the State's new statutory authority combining the talents and resources of the former Tourism NSW and Events NSW, is proud to be a part of the campaign. Destination NSW, under the Regional Tourism Partnership Funding Program, is supporting this campaign with funding of $77,000 being matched by Mid-North Coast Tourism and local industry. Supporting regional tourism is a key commitment of this Government, as evidenced by the Minister's announcement of the additional $5 million in funding to develop new tourism products and enhance existing tourism products throughout regional New South Wales.

The DEPUTY-SPEAKER (Mr Thomas George): Order! There is too much audible conversation in the Chamber. Hansard is having difficulty hearing.

Mr CRAIG BAUMANN: This significant investment, available to regional tourism organisations and the tourism industry, is in addition to the $5.1 million already provided by Destination NSW in working with regions and industry on their marketing campaigns and local initiatives, such as this wonderful PS I Love You campaign. We are delighted to be able to get right behind the second phase of this new campaign, working in partnership with Mid-North Coast Tourism, and I congratulate them on their initiative. I also commend all the local tourist operators who are involved in PS I Love You. The Government's goal for tourism is to double overnight expenditure in this State by 2020, and its commitment to grow regional tourism is a key part of achieving that goal.

Tourism is an important industry in the mid North Coast region, attracting, in the year ending June 2011, more than 6.4 million domestic and international visitors, who stayed 12.7 million nights and injected more than $1.9 billion into the region. With this new campaign aiming to increase accommodation and attraction and tour sales by around 3 per cent to 5 per cent and increase website traffic by 10 per cent, the results for 2012 should tell an even better story.

Tourism is the lifeblood of our region and this additional funding will help to grow tourism, create local jobs and breathe fresh life into our local economy. Tourism-skinned buses and more visitors from China and Japan form part of phase two of the P.S. I Love You campaign. P.S. I love You stickers, shirts and banners and the incorporation of the P.S. I Love You logo on the uniforms of thousands of tourism operators in the area help provide a consistent image for Port Stephens. Anyone who has visited Port Stephens knows that people fall in love with the place, just as I did 25 years ago. Whether visitors stay in a luxury apartment, a cabin, a caravan or a tent, Port Stephens has something to offer. For those unlucky few members who have not been to my electorate, I will show them paradise, as described on our tourist information site:

Port Stephens, an easy two and a half hour drive north of Sydney, is known for its nature and abundance of aquatic and land activities on its uncrowded sandy beaches, sheltered bays and unspoilt national parks. The resident population of 140 bottlenose dolphins has earned Port Stephens the tag of Dolphin Capital of Australia. Plenty of dolphin cruises are available each day and it's the premier spot along the NSW coast for whale watching from May to November.

Experience the excellent surf beaches in nearby Anna Bay, especially One Mile Beach which is a favourite for all those wanting that perfect wave. Nearby is the clothes optional Samurai Beach, a hidden oasis which can be found via a series of sandy paths that lead to the secluded beach.

Explore the majestic and almost surreal sand dunes of Stockton Beach, ­the largest coastal sand dune system in Australia, a 32 kilometre stretch of sand with dunes that are at least 30 meters high. Uncover the remains of the Sygna Shipwreck that was wrecked off the coastline in 1974 and Tin City made up of several tin squatters' huts that are located in the dunes, owned by weekend fisherman.

The aquatic reserves in and around Port Stephens are unparalleled in terms of beauty, variety and ease. Fly Point and Halifax Park offer great scuba diving with colours that rival the Barrier Reef. In fact, the whole port is so special that it was declared a marine national park in 2006.

I commend the Government for its exciting developments in tourism and encourage anyone who has not yet been to my electorate to visit. I promise you will love it too.